Weezer Has Gone Full Wedding Band With Their New Cover Album

When I was a kid—one who preferred fantasy books, video games, and pop-rock music to athletics—I always felt like I could really identify with Weezer. There I was, a nerdy rocker, feeling like the lyrics on "In the Garage" were literally describing me, minus the glam metal references. For the time, it was the perfect music for me. Years later, after I kind of tuned out from a decade of forgettable albums, I caught a live show where they only played songs from Weezer (a.k.a. the "Blue Album") and it immediately transported me back to my youth.

I don't find myself thinking about Weezer much these days. That is, other than last year, when the band responded to a viral online campaign to cover "Africa" by Toto. The guys did it. They even released a great music video with Weird Al doing a Rivers Cuomo impression that had none of the racial insensitivity of the original Toto video. It was a fun little joke that lasted a day or two before the internet moved onto whatever new distraction came next. I, too, went on living my life and continued not thinking much about Weezer again.

That was precisely the problem for Weezer. There hadn't been that much excitement over a Weezer song in over a decade. I hate to say this—because they defined part of my childhood—but Weezer hadn't given us much reason to pay attention. They'd lost that spark, their identity, their narrative.

So it makes sense that as soon as Weezer finds a little bit of relevancy in the 2010s, they really lean into it. It's probably exactly what I would have done in middle school if I had caught the attention of the popular kids.

Early Thursday morning, Weezer released the Teal Album. It's a collection of throwback covers, including "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)," "No Scrubs," "Billie Jean," and more. Like the "Africa" cover—which is the first track on this collection—it's a funny little throwaway joke. It's probably not worth an entire album, but who cares? It's a harmless gesture. Would anyone have listened to a new Weezer album? Would I have written about a new Weezer album? These are the questions I ask myself during Weezer's very competent bridge of "Mr. Blue Sky."

I have to admit, at 48 years old, Cuomo's voice is as pure as ever, and perfectly capable of handling the falsetto on "Take on Me."

As a whole, it's like a very capable wedding band. In fact, it reminds me of the Dan Band scenes in Old School and The Hangover.

That said, is there ever a time when I'd rather hear Weezer (or anybody else) cover "No Scrubs" instead of TLC? Unless I'm singing it at karaoke, absolutely not.

Matt MillerCulture EditorMatt is the Culture Editor at Esquire where he covers music, movies, books, and TV—with an emphasis on all things Star Wars, Marvel, and Game of Thrones.

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